From the McBain cutter-rower via Mather & Platt mobile viners to the PMC 989, the technology of pea harvesting has been transformed over the past fifty years. In this DVD, harvesting enthusiasts Stephen Richmond and Jonathan Whitlam show developments in East Anglia over the period.

They use archive footage from Anglia TV’s ‘Farming Diary’ as well as stills and extensive new footage, particularly of the 2007, 2009 and 2011 harvests. East Anglia nearly lost its large-scale pea crop when Birdseye retreated to its Hull base after 2009. However, in 2011 Anglia Pea Growers have been harvesting again – and using the latest PMC 989s, the fourth generation of this viner.

The DVD also includes extensive interviews with people who have been involved with the crop. Graham Richmond’s experience goes back to the Second World War when his father was loaned German prisoners of war to harvest the crop by hand. He demonstrates how they used to drive off pigeons with a calcium carbide bird scarer and introduces footage of the cutter-rower and green-crop loader from the late 1950s.

1960s archive film shows MF 175 tractors pulling Mather & Platt mobile viners getting a crop to be sent to Lowestoft for freezing.

Farm manager John Want recalls late nights and early mornings in the 1960s when the harvest was done at the behest of the tenderometer, which meant two-shift, 24-hour work. He recalls the lovely smell of the peas in the night and how on light land they used to hang like grapes.

Paul Reeve used viners towed by County 1164s or a Muir-Hill 101. He recalls, too, the various arrangements that were made for getting the crop to Mortons, such as high-tipping trailers bolted to the floor of redundant coal lorries.

Stephanie Hatton gives an insight into her work as a tractor driver in the field, fetching from the viner to the truck.

FMC’s first self-propelled picker, the 679, appeared in the late 1970s. The major step forward came with the 979 6-wheel type harvester which was quieter than its predecessors, had electronic controls and gave the operator a better ride. Also shown in the programme are Ploeger 520 and 530 with their engines at the rear. They remained in service in Norfolk alongside the more numerous FMC, and later, PMC models.

Footage of recent harvests is evocative: ‘As night fell the field became a completely different world with just the lights of the machines breaking the inky blackness.’

The final sequence, from 2011, shows the latest high-tech PMC 989s at work.

Archive footage drawn from ‘ITN Source’ reflects work in farming from the First World War to the 1960s. Farmers lived through half a century of debts, economic slump and two world wars during which agriculture changed for ever.

The DVD includes early machinery, the Women’s Land Army and memories from farm workers. The producers say that it reflects the experience of Suffolk, Norfolk, Essex, Cambs, Beds and Herts.

On the Old Pond website Offers page you can now order a pair of Tammo Glaser's DVDs: Agriculture in Russia Part 1 and Agriculture in North America Part 2 at the special price of £34.95. This is a saving of just under £5.00.

07/11/2011

In the latest weekend of filming we were lucky enough to film five MF balers in action on land near Taunton belonging to Adrian Troutt. In the photograph (click for an enlargement) are from rear to front: MF 185 70/80 cut chamber; MF No. 4; MF 1450; MF 20; MF 802 (low density). They were owned or operated by Headley Martin, Adrian, David and Michael Troutt.

This is an ambitious project. Altogether we expect to record some 79 machines and 12 combines, and we are about two-thirds the way through. The programmes will also include 32 variations of MF tractors, hard at work. The men behind the project, right to left by the 185 and No. 24 chisels, are Dennis Burston and George French, with Dennis's brother Maurice. We hope to release three DVDs at some stage in 2012.

Mowers are not easy to show on film because most of the action is hidden by the crop. This one was an MF 32 5ft version belonging to Maurice Burston.

On the right, the MF 802 baler is coupled to David Troutt's MF 65 Mark 1. David is the driver; he and his brother Michael share the baler.

Finally, here is George French driving his 185 drawing Dennis Burston's MF 24 chisels - on a beautiful and moody summer's day in Somerset.